A conduit bending tool of the type disclosed in my previously issued U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,246,498 and 3,590,617 incorporates many important features of an improved "hickey" or conduit bender. What is needed, however, is a ready and convenient means, forming part of the conduit bender, which can establish the correct degree of bending for offset bends. The electrician or other worker needs a convenient gage, forming part of the conduit bender, which will determine the degree of bending for a given offset and distance connecting offset bends. For example, if an eight inch offset is desired and the distance between bends is given, the tool should have a gage reading directly, when the bend is accomplished to produce that offset with the established reverse bend locations. First, marks are made on the conduit where the reverse bends should be made. By proving the distance between the reverse bends and the degree of offset the ratio of these two distances is then read directly off of a ball gage of the conduit bender which tells when each reverse bend is sufficient to achieve the curved offset.
What is needed is a much more convenient and understandable gage reading so that the electrician or other user of the "hickey" will know the degree of bending proper for a given offset and conduit length between offset bends. That is what this invention is about.
Not only is it necessary to have a gage which will read directly the degree of bending, in the manner described, but also gage information is provided so that when the conduit bender or "hickey" is held stationary and the pipe bent around the anvil or curved section of the bender, there is provided a convenient gage means for also determining the amount of bend to achieve as the correct offset.
The tool is versatile and can perform bending either with turning of the tool or the conduit on the bender; and, all the required measuring means are provided within the conduit bender including gages, measuring tapes and the like. Thus, the number of conduit bending operations can occur all at the preferred location and degree to obtain accurate offset bend. Moreover, when the bending is completed the end of the conduit can be reamed out both internally and externally by a reamer which is a part of the conduit bender.